The Tail of the Rat's Tale
by Aya Diefair
Summary: Lily and Harry survived. Peter was caught. Now he faces justice and the fury of a mother who knows no bounds. Warnings inside.


_Written for:_

**Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry (Challenges & Assignments)**

**The Houses Competition, Year 4, Round 2**

**Monthly Challenges for All**

**Term 10 - Assignment 5 - Task 3: **Write about a Lily.

**House: **Hufflepuff

**Position: **Head Student

**Category: **Standard

**Prompt: **[Speech] "Why is it so cold in this place?"

**Stacked with:** The Houses Competition; Hogwarts

**Individual Challenge(s):** Gryffindor MC (x4); Bow Before the Blacks; Tiny Terror; Short Jog; Click Bait It; Yellow Ribbon; Yellow Ribbon Redux; Sett to Destroy

**Representation(s):** Celestial Petals; Personal Justice; Judicial Justice; Vengeance; Spite; Grieving; Mourning; Personal Loss; Maternal Instincts

**Bonus Challenge(s):** Ladylike - Aggressive, Violent; Not a Lamp; Persistence Still; White Dress; Pear-Shaped

**Tertiary Bonus Challenge(s): **N/A

**Word Count: **(Per Google Docs) 1,652

**Beta(s): **Gab, Bailey

* * *

Lily stared at her reflection in the mirror while attempting to finish her light makeup and fix her hair for a third time. Just when she thought she was ready to leave the room, she found herself having another breakdown when the Glamour Charm failed to conceal the scar that snaked up her neck to just under her left eye. She finally gave up and turned to basic waterproof Muggle makeup instead.

After taking a few therapeutic breaths, Lily smoothed the lines from her black skirt and slipped out of the room to the low rumble of kitchen bustling and the smell of fresh coffee and eggs. She immediately wanted to be sick.

Harry toddled into the corridor and smiled. He stretched his arms out and wiggled his fingers at her. "Up, Mummy!"

Lily easily gave into her son and scooped him up in her arms, planting a kiss in his hair before heading into the kitchen. Sirius was folding an omelet, and Remus poured a fresh cup of coffee before turning to her.

"Ready?"

She gave a weak shrug, blinking back glassy eyes. "As I can be."

"Mummy sparkling," Harry squealed, placing his hands on her cheeks and looking directly at her. "Sad eyes."

Lily looked back into his eyes and felt the tears well again. She handed Harry off to Remus and took the coffee instead. A heavy sniff escaped her when she took a sip.

Today was Peter Pettigrew's trial. Alastor had managed to track the traitor down within two days of the attack on Godric's Hollow and James' death. She and Harry were alive because of his sacrifice and her trapping spells, which hadn't been able to fully stop the Killing Curse he shot her way from severely scarring her chest and face. Now it was time to bring justice for their betrayal, for the death of the man she loved, for the father Harry would never truly be able to know.

The four finished what they could of their breakfasts—Lily only managed a half cup of coffee—before taking their Portkey to the Ministry.

As they were escorted down to the Wizengamot courtrooms, Lily felt herself shivering despite her rage. It was as if the cool air lingering in the sleek black stone corridor banked the blazing fury in her chest to a threatening smolder, replacing the sorrow of loss with the anger of vengeance. She was going to face one of James' best friends, someone who they had trusted without a doubt in their minds, and it was going to take everything she had to not lash out at him. The rat was lucky enough that the court had taken their wands, but Lily knew how to hit and knew the body's pressure points and weak spots since she started taking self-defense courses in the summer from fifth year on. If she managed to get close enough…

A gentle hand on her shoulder pulled Lily from that train of thought. She turned to meet Remus' soft gaze silently reading her own body language, and the concern that showed through only made her more tense.

"You don't have to do this, Lils," he said, giving her shoulder a squeeze. "You can take Harry and—"

"No," she breathed out. "I want us to be here. I want him to see what he's done to us. I want him to look me in the eye and feel the hollowed part of my heart that he took away from me – from us."

The quiet whistle from behind her made Lily and Remus turn to face Sirius who was holding a squirmy Harry in his arms. "You are downright terrifying right now, Evans. Gave me the chills."

They all wore black to show they were in mourning. It was fitting garb considering how the incident only happened a few days ago and the ceremonial burial was being held later that day. Lily had found the court date conveniently inconvenient but knew she wasn't going to miss this trial.

Lily felt herself shiver once more as they proceeded down the corridor to the lift that would take them to Courtroom Ten. She took Harry when he started to get fussy and rocked him until the lift stopped. The cold was even more noticeable when she stepped into yet another corridor, causing her to shiver unexpectedly.

"Why is it so cold in this place?" she asked, pressing Harry against her chest to keep him warm. Sirius draped his cloak around them.

"Dementors," he said darkly. "It keeps everyone alert and allegedly compliant."

She stiffened at the reply. She didn't think they'd have those creatures present and so close to the private audience and news reporters. Once they entered the large courtroom, Lily immediately looked up to see three dementors lazily hovering several meters above their heads. The bubble-like shield of several corporeal Patronus' kept them at bay, but their presence was just enough for her to feel their sorrowful and fearful effects. She wasn't going to let them get the best of her.

"This way," Remus said, gesturing her to follow close while Sirius fell into place behind her.

They sat down front and center, directly facing the prisoner's chair, making sure that Peter would be able to see them once they brought him out. She placed Harry on her lap and lightly bounced him while Sirius handed him his favourite stuffed lamb whose ears he loved to chew on. Lily glanced back at the dementors and shuddered but breathed slowly to keep herself calm – she was not ready to cry again, not yet. This wasn't the time, that was later.

"You alright?"

Worried that her voice would betray her, she nodded her assurance at a very concerned Remus. He slipped a hand in hers and gently squeezed it while Sirius entertained Harry with silly faces and gave the stuffed lamb squeaky voices.

The Wizengamot were quickly seated and the trial was soon underway, helping Lily forget the creatures that loomed above them. The Aurors—Moody included—soon escorted Peter Pettigrew to the center of the room and secured him to the chair. She watched the timid man like a hawk while he took in his surroundings and noticeably recoiled when he finally met her piercing, deadly, fiery gaze.

"Li–Lily! Y–You're—"

"_Silence in the courtroom!_" the booming voice of the Minister echoed through the room, startling everyone into silence.

Lily's eyes flashed at Peter's audacity in addressing her. Everything grew silent in her world as she stared down the man that had caused James' death – caused her son to be fatherless. She didn't register the woman behind her crying as the list of charges were read. She knew he would soon plead his case before a sentence was made. Her body felt taught as a tightrope about to snap, and the fire in her chest ignited and burned as Peter stuttered his excuses and flinched whenever he met her gaze.

Even Remus' comforting arm strokes and shoulder squeezes were barely registering; the only thing that pulled her back to the present was when Harry started to cry. He squirmed and twisted in Sirius' lap and arms in an attempt to get free.

"Want Daddy! No Siri! Please Daddy!" he whimpered before falling into another fit of tears and sobs.

The dementors were getting to him. Why did she think bringing him to this terrible place was safe? Guilt started to well at the thought that she subconsciously used her own son to spite Peter.

"H-Hey little guy, it'll be alri—"

When Lily realized that neither Remus nor Sirius were offering those words of comfort, she was on her feet and lunged halfway over the tall rail before she was restrained by Remus. Peter physically curled into himself at her sudden strike, his pleas and apologies dying on his lips as Lily spat fire at him

"_How dare you speak to Harry, you bastard!" _she roared, fighting against Remus' firm grasp around her waist. "We trusted you and you're the one directly _responsible_ for all of this! You have _no right _to speak to him! _No right, you rat!_"

By this point Lily was struggling against both Remus and Moody, who escorted her out with Sirius quickly following behind, carrying a distraught Harry.

Once they got her to sit down at a bench, Moody excused himself and left the four in the quiet, cold corridor. Harry cried and reached for Lily who quickly took him and wrapped him in her arms. Burying her face in his hair, she let the tears flow and her body shake with sobs along with him. Sirius and Remus sat on either side of her and enveloped the two in a hug, knowing words were not going to be the cure, for this moment anyway. They rubbed her back, they cooed at Harry, they did all they could think of to get them to calm down without breaking down themselves.

It took several minutes before Lily stopped shaking, Harry went limp from exhaustion against her. She wiped her face and makeup with the handkerchief Remus offered Remus and let out a breath. She felt exhausted now that the fire was out.

"I'm going to kill that bastard," Sirius finally declared, purposefully standing to his full height.

Lily chuckled darkly. "Get in line, Black."

"He'll rot in prison. Let that be enough," Remus reasoned, rising as well.

They offered Lily a hand to help get her to her feet while adjusting a sleeping Harry against her. "I'm exhausted."

"Let's get you two home to rest before…" Sirius swallowed the last few words, draping an arm over Lily's shoulders to help support her.

"Tea and cucumber sandwiches," Lily half-whispered, leaning into Sirius. "His favourite lunch."

Remus caught the stuffed lamb that jostled loose from Harry's slacking grip and placed it on her shoulder before wrapping an arm around her waist.

* * *

**Spring Bingo 2019:** Sheep/Lamb (4C)

**Insane House Challenge (R): **188\. [Theme] Grief

**365 Prompts: **155\. Deadly


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